Printing machine for small articles



Jan. 1, 1952 PRINTING MACHINE FOR SMALL ARTICLES Filed NOV 26, 1946 r I 2 Sl-IEETSSPEET 1 v James B. Newe ll J. R. NEWELL 2,581,281

Jan. 1, 1952 J. R. NEWELL PRINTING MACHINE FOR SMALL ARTICLES 2 swans-5am? 2 Filed Nov 26, 1946 I awe/w 'z/ames'RNe /ll Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE James R. Nowell, Creston, Iowa Application November 26, 1946, Serial No. 712,440 I This invention appertains to improvements in printing machines such as used for stationary, calling cards, Christmas and birthday cards, or in other words for printing only a few lines on paper or cardboard. This machine is greatly simplified and very easy to operate as compared with existing machines of this class. It is operated by a hand crank and one half turn thereof brings the jaws of the impression plate and the type close together against the card or sheet to be printed, while the next half turn of the crank, in the same direction, opens the jaws and applies printing ink and is thereupon ready for the next printing.

The one great advantage of this machine is that the printing takes place on the underside of a card as the type set in the chase moves upwardly against the card which is placed upside down on the gauge plate. As a consequence the type need not be locked in the chase as is usual, and they cannot fall out of the chase when the latter is carried upside down.

The objects and advantages of thismachine will be understood from the subjoined description with the aid of the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view more or less diagrammatic and with some parts removed of a press constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the elements in relative positions ready to start printing;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the elements in position in the act of printing.

In the drawings like numerals refer to the same details in the different views.

Numeral I denotes the frame and casing for the machine, at the front end of which a set of drawers II are to be found for holding the type needed. Above the drawers a chase I2 is shown in which the type is set up. This chase is. secured removably, by screws or the like on the forward ends of a pair of arms I3, which are Iulcrumed on a cross shaft [4 at the rear end of the frame l0.

Similarly on the forward ends of another pair of arms I5 overlyingarms l3, the impression plate I! .is secured, which arms I 5 are fulcrumed on a second cross shaft I6 mounted in the rear ofthe frame In above and paralleling the shaft I4. v 1

The frame of the press at the front thereof is formed to provide a gauge plate I B which overlies the type chase and extends rearwalqdly at a slight 5 Claims. (Cl. 101311) I downward. inclination.

This gauge plate has formed therein the opening 35 over which is placed the card or sheet which is to receive the printing impression. The length of the pairs of arms I3 and i5 which respectively carry the type chase and the impression plate, is such that when they are relatively oscillated upon their shafts hi and I5 the faces of the type in the chase will be presented from below through the opening 35 toward and against the underface of the impression plate I! if no sheet or card is on the gauge plate over the opening 35. If such a card or sheet is in position then, of course, the type will press against the underside of the sheet and the impression plate will press down thereon so as to compress the sheet between the type and the plate.

Some distance in front of the two cross shafts i4 and i5 and about midway between them as to height, a crank shaft I9 is supported in bearings in the sides of the frame II]. This shaft I9 is the operating shaft having a crank handle 20 on the outer side of the machineand a crank formation 2! in the middle thereof.

At each side of the machine is mounted a pair of spaced parallel guide rails 22 which extend lengthwise of the machine and lie in horizontal planes passing between the two pairs of arms l3 and I5.

Extending transversely of the machine forwardly of the crank shaft I9 is a spindle 24 upon each end of which is mounted a roller 23. Each of these rollers engages between a pair of guide rails 22, by means of which the spindle is maintained in position for back and forth movement.

Supported in spaced parallel relation by the spindle 24 are the two elbow levers 25 each of which comprises a short arm 25a and the long arm 252). As shown the free end of the short arm of each lever 25 is attached to the spindle 24 and the long arms extend forwardly and upwardly each upon the outer side of an arm l3.

These levers 25 are adapted to swing or oscillate on the spindle 24 during the back and forth movement of the spindle in the operation of the press as will be hereinafter made apparent.

At the forward ends of the arms 25b a transverse shaft 26a is supported by and extends across between the arms and adjacent to each end this shaft carries a roller 26b. Mounted on the shaft between the rollers is the ink roller 26. As will be clearly apparent the rollers 2617 are positioned to ride upon the top edges of the arms l3 when the levers 25 move backward and forward.

of the pairs of arms, a pair of vertically spaced Y substantially horizontally positioned tracks disposed at each side of the pairs of arms substantially midway of the lengths of the arms, a spindle extending transversely between the upper and lower pairs of arms, a roller upon each end of the spindle, each roller being rotatably supported between a pair of tracks, an extensible and foldable thrust unit comprising an upper arm and a lower arm. the arms of said unit being coupled together by said spindle and the upper end of the upper arm being pivotally coupled with the upper pair of arms and the lower end of the lower unit arm being pivotally coupled with the lower pair of arms, and means for applying forward and rearward thrust to said spindle to effect the extension and folding respectively of said thrust unit.

4. A printing press of the character stated in claim 3, with an ink plate carried by the lower arms, a roller adapted to move on the lower arms between the ink plate and the type chase, and means for retracting the roller onto the ink plate upon the movement of the impression plate and type chase together and for shifting the roller forward over the type chase upon the movement of the type chase and impression plate apart.

5. A printing press of the character stated in claim 3, with an ink plate carried by the lower pair of arms immediately rearwardly of the type chase, an inking roller, a pair of crank arms each pivotally connected at one end to said spindle and extending forwardly on one side of the type chase, a shaft connecting the forward ends of the crank arms, said roller being rotatably supported upon the crank arm carried shaft, and roller means upon the last mentioned shaft resting upon the top edges of the arms of the lower pair.

JAMES R. NEWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 4,966 Leavitt July 9, 1872 169,605 Watson et al. Nov. 2, 1875 174,734 Livingstone Mar. 14, 1876 267,875 Golding Nov. 21, 1882 430,281 Gally June 17, 1890 1,007,923 Collins Nov. 7, 1911 1 1,532,698 Johnson Apr. 7, 1925 1,881,090 Moulton Oct. 4, 1932 2,423,112 Pantazakos July 1, 1947 

